Humble Bundle - RuneQuest by Chaosium

My first experience with RuneQuest was Avalon Hill's Edition, but shortly after that, I found RuneQuest 2e (along with Pavis and Big Rubble) at an obscure convention at Columbia University. Before I knew it, I was running my first sandbox campaign, which was magical. The current edition of RuneQuest harkens back to the earlier editions of RuneQuest in flavor and rules.

The RuneQuest Bundle is all it at 18 bucks, but this is one of those rare Humble Bundles where you get something VERY valuable for as little as a single buck - the RuneQuerst Starter Set. All you need to begin playing RQ for as little as a buck.

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

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Deal of the Day - Trollpak (RuneQuest II)

I'm a huge fan of classic RuneQuest II, from Chaosium (before licensing RuneQuest to Avalon Hill). So, when material for Classic RuneQuest gets discounted, and I don't already have it in PDF, I grab it quickly. This is one of those days.

Today's Deal of the Day is Trollpak for classic RuneQuest II. Normally 14.99 in PDF, but until tomorrow morning Trollpak is on sale for 3 bucks. Yes, I already snagged my copy earlier tonight.

Partial Topic Contents of this Box: troll mythos, genealogy of Darkness deities, troll language, the Exodus, troll migrations during the Storm Age, eleven troll battles, troll eating habits, trolls in the First, Second, and Third Ages, troll dentition, Genertela at the Dawn, troll philosophy, the Gbaji wars, twins, trollkin life statistics, the curse of kin, Kyger Litor wrestles with Gbaji, measurement of time and distance, six troll types examined, troll senses, trollkin ownership, clothing, troll noises, the Holy Country, troll gestation and lifespan, Blue Moon plateau, funeral rites, posture and body language, the Shadowlands, snow trolls, Pamaltela, Shadow's Dance, Dagori Inkarth, Mistress Race life statistics, elders, Sporewood, Redstone Caverns [sample clan habitat with 9 quarters], troll anatomy and digestion, troll skulls and evolution, the Sazdorf clan [sample history of a troll clan with genealogy and extensive organizational analysis], troll ecology, troll insects, troll tactics, generating troll characters, troll professions, new skills, troll living arrangements, young trolls and family life, hospitality, the cult of Areanea, the cult of Argan Argar, the cult of Gorakiki, the cult of Hunter of Foundchild, updated cult of Kyger Litor, cult of Xiola Umbar, modified cult of Zorak Zoran, industrial insects with statistics, variant troll statistics, introduction to the scenarios, 10 standard troll types, troll caravan, moth riders, locust nomads, Skyfall Lake, the Grog Shoppe, Crabtown, Grubfarm, the flying trollkin, the Sazdorf clan [a large scenario including more than 70 rooms and extensive discussion of troll procedures and defenses], trollball rules, the Sazdorf Whackers & Tacklers, Munchroom caverns A and B, player handouts, a map of Dagori Inkarth and environs, troll drinks, magic mushrooms, 29 completely new Rune spells, nearly 300 individual statistics, 25 types of giant insects, and a trollball field.

The book also includes designer's notes and a detailed index. The PDF is fully bookmarked, with a fully hyperlinked Table of Contents and Index.

 

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Anchor, YouTube,  or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar     

Deal of the Day - Big Rubble (RuneQuest)

My history with RuneQuest, Classic RuneQuest, started in 86 or 87, when I bought the hardback rules along with the box sets of Pavis & Big Rubble at an RPG convention at Columbia University. The boxes were shelf worn, but still in their wrap, and I believe I snagged it all for 20 bucks. Little did I know this would be the first time I'd ever run a sandbox (or even know that's what the experience was), but we had a blast that summer, with our party exploring Big Rubble, and going back to Pavis in between adventuring. Yes, I have some very special memories of Big Rubble ;)

Today's Deal of the Day is none other than Big Rubble (1983 edition) in all of its original glory. Normally 14.99 in PDF, and it is on sale for a mere 3 bucks in PDF until tomorrow morning.

THE BIG RUBBLE is the perfect hunting ground for both prospective and veteran adventurers. From the relative safety of the frontier town of New Pavis, exploration parties may venture forth into the Rubble to once again tap the treasures and magics buried in its ruins. They will be aided and hindered by the guards and bureaucrats of the occupying Lunar empire.

The Big Rubble is a vast area enclosed by giant-build walls of solid stone. Once it was the site of Robcradle, an ancient Jrusteli city, and then it held the magnificent capital of the hero Pavis. Only thousands of acres of ruin and destruction now remain, full of robbers, outcasts, and inhuman monsters.

The Rubble Guide provides background describing the creation of the ruins, tells of major areas within the giant walls and of 49 points of interest within those areas, examines the vegetable guardians of the Elven Garden, hints at how to get in and out of the Rubble, illustrates four types of Rubble ruins, contains general and specific encounters, and reveals the cult of Yelorna.

The nine scenarios in the Episodes book explore some of the many exciting places within the Rubble. Griffin Gate is the main entrance for legal adventuring parties, and this scenario includes three separate episodes occurring within the gate area. Wolfhead's Lair, Raid of Yelorna, The Devil's Playground, Krang's Table, and the Puzzle Canal introduce the manifold gangs who survive through incessant raid and plunder within the Rubble. Temple at Feroda takes the adventurers south, beyond the walls, to the mouth of the Zola Fel River. Each of those adventures requires one or two evenings to complete. Dozens of additional scenarios will develop as sidelights from the nine given here or from the plentiful descriptions provided.

Several "official" Lunar Empire forms have been included to license and annoy hapless adventurers. No one is allowed back into the safety of New Pavis without their Adventurer's License, and few except for trolls, elves, broos, and ogres dare to live in the Rubble.

The book also includes designer's notes and a detailed index. The PDF is fully bookmarked, with a fully hyperlinked Table of Contents and Index.

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. The Tavern DOES NOT do "Paid For" Articles and discloses personal connections to products and creators written about when applicable.

DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Anchor, YouTube,  or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar    

Deal of the Day - Borderlands (RuneQuest)

The first sandbox campaign I ever ran was Pavis and Big Rubble, using the RuneQuest 2e rules. It was an amazing summer campaign in the late 80s.

I always wanted to grab a copy of Borderlands, but I was never able to find it at the time (RuneQuest 3 was the in-print edition at the time).

Until tomorrow morning, Borderlands is 3 bucks in PDF (normally 15). This is an amazing value, whether you play RuneQuest or not.

This is a completely remastered version of the Borderlands boxed set into a single PDF. 

The original boxed Borderlands supplement contained two referee’s booklets, seven separately bound scenarios, a 17”x 22” regional map, play-aids, and inserts.

The Referee’s Handbook contains notes on referee and player functions, regional history, cultural/ecological background for the peoples along the River of Cradles, short studies of Duke Raus of Rone (holder of the Weis Domain) and his family and servitors, geographical information, magical items, and generic statistics for natural animals and unnatural monsters in the area. This book tells the referee how the land lays, giving him, or her, plenty of ammunition with which to answer player questions and elbow room by which to alter scenarios or to create new ones.

The Seven Scenarios are arranged so that they form an extended adventure when played in sequence; any of them can be used individually with slight adjustments.

• Scenario 1: Scouting the Land
• Scenario 2: Outlaw Hunt
• Scenario 3: Jezra’s Rescue
• Scenario 4: Revenge of Muriah
• Scenario 5: Five Eyes Temple
• Scenario 6: Condor Crags
• Scenario 7: To Giantland!

The Encounters Book contains the individual NPC statistics used in the scenarios as well as various encounter charts. Monsters or NPCs specific to particular scenarios will be found in those scenarios. Statistics for Raus, Daine, and Daryli can be found in the Referee’s Handbook.

The map of The Domain in the Referee’s Handbook shows the extent of the duke’s River of Cradles holding, with the land to either side from Vulture’s Country to Horn Gate, and from below the Sun Dome temple to above Corflu. Routes of travel should be plotted using this map.

The play-aids at the end of this book include a copy of Daine’s Map and a copy of the map to the Fish Temple. A copy of the Duke’s Contract can be found in the Referee’s Handbook.

Note: This is a fully-remastered PDF true to the original printing.

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. 

DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Anchor, YouTube,  or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar 

Deal of the Day - Griffin Mountain (RuneQuest)

 

I was introduced to RuneQuest back in 1987 or so, at a gaming convention at Columbia University. The dealer's room had a shelf-worn copy of the RQ rulebook and water-damaged boxes of Big Rubble and Pavis. All for 20 bucks. I was sold. Sadly, I never came across a copy of Griffin Mountain at the time, but for 3 bucks in PDF until tomorrow morning, that is about to be corrected ;)

Griffin Mountain details an area 800 kilometers wide. Elder Wilds is where non-humans live and high adventures thrive. Balazar is a wild frontier where anything can happen.

This book contains extensive notes on the area's geography, history, and inhabitants.

Meet King Yalaring Monsterslayer who became king of the citadel of Trilus by right of conquest. Visit picturesque Elkoi, built by giants. Trade with Joh Mith, a fat, jovial caravan master with high bargaining skills. Gamble with Hen Cik, one of the caretakers of a legendary caste in Giant Land. Cross the dangerous River of the Damned (full river crossing rules inside). Quest for the powerful windberries, rumored to be found on Griffin Mountain itself. Beware of the ever-present baboons, bears, dragonewts, wild hawks, trolls...

Get your adventurers ready for a glorious time in Griffin Mountain!

Running Griffin Mountain

This book is designed for use with the fantasy role-playing game system RuneQuest. It is recommended that the referee owns and is familiar with Cults of Prax.

The authors and publishers of this book take no responsibility for inexperienced characters that may get trashed by these scenarios; nor do we accept responsibility for any referees who may get trashed by the players thereof. Seriously, these adventures are designed to provide a challenge to mixed level characters including Rune Masters. Even then, the going might be a little tough.

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DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Anchor, YouTube,  or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar

RuneQuest and Call of Cthulhu Starter Sets On Sale for 99 Cents Each!

I own both the RuneQuest Starter and Call of Cthulhu Starter Sets in physical and PDF and they are the best values in RPG material that I've found in the last few years. Hands down.

You can currently snag both for 99 cents.

Grab them both. For far less than a Starbucks coffee, you will have a huge amount of d100-based gaming material.

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. 

DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Anchor, YouTube,  or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar  

Deal of the Day - Cults of Terror (RuneQuest)

I've been a huge fan of RuneQuest, especially the classic RuneQuest 2nd Edition. There's something about that classic system I find very enjoyable.

Today's Deal of the Day is Cults of Terror for RQ 2e / Classic Edition. Normally 9.99 in PDF, until tomorrow morning its on sale for 1.99.

Nine Dangerous Deities for RuneQuest Role-playing!

The bad guys of Glorantha: nine cults of the cruel and unusual, destined to enliven every campaign. Cults include PRIMAL CHAOS, MALLIA, BAGOG, THED, VIVAMORT, THANATAR, THE CRIMSON BAT, KRARSHT, and NYSALOR/GBAJI. Each cult has described cult myths, history, requirements for lay, Initiate, and RuneMaster membership, subservient and associate cults, and miscellaneous notes. There are now Rune spells, battle magics, skills, five new Runes, an expanded cult compatibility chart, full rules for nets, a pronunciation guide, the adventures of Lunar Initiate Paulis Longvale, and exciting mythical and historical essays by Greg Stafford. This book is fully compatible with RuneQuest classic edition; the concepts and descriptions in it can be used for any fantasy role-playing system.

This book is a companion to Cults of Prax. 

 

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. 

DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Anchor, YouTube,  or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar  

Deal of the Day - RuneQuest 2nd Edition (1980)

I still remember picking up RuneQuest 2nd Edition back in the summer of 1986(?) at a small gaming convention at Columbia University. In the dealer hall, I was able to pick up RQ2 as well as the Pavis and Big Rubble box sets for 20 bucks. Sure, the boxes were water damaged and the core book had shelf-wear, but in between the worn cover and the slightly damaged boxes, the contents were pristine and new, and oh so well done.

I ran a near-daily RQ2 campaign the rest of that summer and into the fall semester. Seriously, some of the best RPG material I ever ran (I'd put WFRP 1ed in a similar category)

Until tomorrow morning at 11 AM eastern, you can snag the RuneQuest 2nd Edition (1980) rulebook for a mere 2.99 in PDF. Trust me, its well worth the price of a cup of coffee ;)

The classic that founded an industry - An entire fantasy role-playing game in one book

Freshly reprinted from the successful Kickstarter!

In July of 1978, the Origins Game Fair was held in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Over 3500 people attended what was the largest gaming convention in the US at that time. In the main hall gamers could pick up the latest games from all the major publishers: Cross of Iron by Avalon Hill, Atlantic Wall by SPI, and The Hall of the Fire Giant King module by TSR. In one small booth near a corner you could also purchase RuneQuest, the first Roleplaying game published by The Chaosium, a quirky 3 person company from the Bay Area. It sold out over the weekend, and every print run continued to do so for the next several years. 

This is the second edition of the RuneQuest rules in its final form, with all errata incorporated into the text. Additional material has been added to the appendices at the end.

RuneQuest took the young world of roleplaying games by storm; it cast aside many of the approaches most other games took. It had no character classes, no experience points, no levels, and far fewer restrictions on how weapons, armor, and spells could be used. Instead of a D20 it uses a percentile 01-100 system. It also has the built-in fantasy world of Glorantha. 

During what many consider to be the golden age of roleplaying, RuneQuest enjoyed its greatest popularity, second only to AD&D in sales. It won numerous awards, starting in 1978 with the Strategist’s Club Award for “Outstanding Miniatures Rules”, which may sound quirky, but that was because the industry had yet to create award categories specifically for roleplaying games.

Don't forget to subscribe to the Tenkar's Tavern Youtube Channel to ensure you don't miss an episode. https://www.youtube.com/c/TenkarsTavern

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern.  You can catch the daily Tavern Chat cast on Anchor, YouTube,  or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar 

Deal of the Day - RuneQuest Companion (Glorantian Fiction)

I'm really getting psyched about running a Glorantha Campaign in the next few months. Understanding the world and its lore is something I've been working on via the setting books. The opportunity to read some classic Glorantha fiction is exciting.

Until tomorrow at 11 am Eastern, the RuneQuest Companion is the DriveThruFiction Deal of the Day. Normally 10 bucks in PDF, it's on sale for        4 bucks.

THE COMPANION is a sourcebook of articles, stories, and pictures useful to or entertaining to RuneQuest referees and players alike; its wide variety of subjects and forms will stimulate new adventures in any campaign or fill up quiet evenings at home.

The Companion fills a void left by the demise of Wyrms Footnotes, a magazine dedicated at the last solely to RQ articles; it was then the best source for RQ rules variants and steadily published new Gloranthan arcana.

Frustratingly to many, the earliest issues of the Footnotes were never reprinted, so that only savvy collectors had access to important material for RuneQuest® and White Bear & Red Moon (since retitled Dragon Pass). The most RQ-pertinent of those essays and illustrations appear here.

But the majority of the Companion is new material* – a lot of research and writing has occurred since the first issues of WF in 1976!

Note: *This is a fully-remastered PDF true to the original printing (1983).

Deal of the Day - M-Space (BRP/RQ/Mythrus SciFi Ruleset)

Three Deals of the Day in three days. I don't think that has ever happened before at The Tavern.

The latest Deal of the Day, M-Space, is a sci-fi ruleset based on Mythrus, which in itself, is built off of the Mongoose RQ/Legends rules. I'm on a bit of a RuneQuest kick recently, and this looks like a good fit. Normally 15.95 in PDF, until tomorrow morning at 11 AM Eastern, M-Space is on sale for 6.38.

M-SPACE is a d100-based science fiction roleplaying game. Everything needed to play is included. 

With this book, you can create imaginary universes and play characters from a variety of cultures and careers. They can pilot starships, meet strange alien lifeforms and travel deep into unknown space.

Contents include: 

• Rich character generation, with unique, personal characters driven by Passions. 
• Rules for extended conflicts, applicable to any type of conflict, including social. 
• Intuitive, modular starship design. 
• Quick-paced and creative starship combat, based on the acclaimed Mythras combat rules. 
• Alien and culture creation. 
• World building. 
• Rules for how to create and run Organisations. 
• Modular vehicle design.
• Creative combat rules - in both classic and simplified flavour. 
• Psionics. 
• Equipment. 

The game engine used for all this is Mythras Imperative. If you are familiar with any closely related d100 game, you will feel right at home. 

M-SPACE is published under a Mythras Gateway license by The Design Mechanism.

The Tavern is supported by readers like you. The easiest way to support The Tavern is to shop via our affiliate links. DTRPG, Amazon, and Humble Bundle are affiliate programs that support The Tavern. 

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat podcast on Anchor, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. - Tenkar 

Borderlands & Beyond for RuneQuest - Glorantian Classics Reprint Print plus PDF Sale (over 50% off)

I've recently been bitten (again) by the RuneQuest Bug. I last ran a RuneQuest Campaign over 30 years ago, using the RuneQuest 2nd edition rules and the Pavis and Big Rubble box sets. It was an amazing summer of RuneQuest fun, and although we didn't call it a "sandbox" back then, it was certainly the first sandbox I ran.

I noticed last night that on the Chaosium website, they offer Glorantian Classics: Borderlands and Beyond for $18.99, in print plus free PDF - basically half off the regular price. Not owning a prior version of Borderlands (but remembering the rave reviews of it from years ago) I promptly ordered the hard copy and started perusing my newly acquired PDF.

I'm inspired to run a RuneQuest Campaign again, with Pavis & Big Rubble, as well as the Borderlands at my disposal. Apparently, I ordered a PDF copy of Pavis & Big Rubble from DTRPG in the past, and I'll be uploading that to my iPad, much like I've uploaded Borderlands. Edition changes don't phase me, as I've been running all editions of various D&D / OGL adventures for years using Swords & Wizardry rules. So long as the players don't know what the "true" stats should be, any stats you present as a GM are the "true" stats ;)

So, what do you get in Borderlands & Beyond?

This is an updated and reformatted 300+ page reprint of ALL of the information from the original Chaosium Borderlands boxed set, Plunder, and Runemasters.

Rick also included additional Plunder items, expanded Runemasters character histories, and loads of background info from Nomad Gods and Wyrms Footnotes magazine. The interior is lavishly illustrated with dozens of new pictures from Simon Bray, Dario Corallo, plus loads of oldies but goodies from Lisa Free, Luise Perrinne, Gene Day and Rick Becker.

Note, this is the last of the Glorantian Classics line Chaosium has in print.

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The Tavern.  

You can catch the daily Tavern Chat podcast on Anchor, YouTube, 

or wherever you listen to your podcast collection. 

Quickstart - RuneQuest (Free)

I've mentioned this on The Tavern's YouTube channel, but the best campaign I ever ran was using the RuneQuest 2e rules with the Pavis and Big Rubble boxed sets over 30 years ago. We never called it a sandbox, but it was by far an open-world-style campaign and very driven by player actions.

I recently picked up the RuneQuest Starter Box directly from Chaosium for 30 bucks, and the value is amazing. I'm sure you could snag a copy on Amazon, but the instant gratification you get with the accompanying PDFs for purchasing direct is hard to beat.

Want to take the RuneQuest rules out for a test drive before plunking down a few bucks? Snag the free RuneQuest Quickstart rules.

A mythic world of mortals and gods, myths and cults, monsters and heroes. In Glorantha, the Runes permeate everything, and mastery of Runes allows astonishing feats of bravery and magic.

Glorantha is ancient, and has known many ages, but now it is at the brink of the greatest conflict it has ever known… the Hero Wars.

Glorantha is the setting of RuneQuest, one of the oldest and most influential roleplaying games ever published.

Welcome to Chaosium’s RuneQuest Quickstart Rules, a booklet that collects the essential rules for RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha and presents them in abbreviated form. Use this booklet to play the new edition of RuneQuest immediately, and to discover the improvements to the system. These game rules and a new adventure—The Broken Tower—preview the new edition of RuneQuest, developed in close consultation with the original designers and creators of RuneQuest and of Glorantha.

The Broken Tower, set in the heart of the Dragon Pass, is suitable for up to 5 adventurers and one gamemaster, complete with all the rules needed to play.

I'll likely record an unboxing video of the RuneQuest Starter Box on the Tenkar's Tavern YouTube Channel this weekend.

Free OSR Rulesets - Fantasy - RetroQuest II (Chasoium RuneQuest 2 Clone)

Huge thanks to Michael Thomas for not only pointing me to RetroQuest II but for also writing / publishing it. Well done sir!

RetroQuest II - is a D100 SRD for creating your own rules and adventures in the vein of everyone’s favourite second-edition D100 roleplaying game. This System Reference Document uses the Open Game Licence and several existing System Reference Documents to re-create the mechanics and play of the first versions of the classic D100 system. See the OGL at the end of this document for more information.

Other Free OSR Rulesets - Fantasy 

Free OSR Rulesets - Fantasy - Mongoose RuneQuest 1 SRD (Doc and PDF)

The Mongoose RuneQuest 1 SRD is available in .doc format (for ease of house ruling) and a spiffy cleaned up PDF.

The editable version of MRQ1 SRD with additional resources:

https://basicroleplaying.org/files/category/52-mongoose-runequest/

Luxury PDF of MRQ1 SRD:

https://www.pundak.co.il/downloads/systems/systems/runequest-pdf/download

https://www.scribd.com/document/317094188/RuneQuest-SRD-Luxury-Edition-pdf

Other Free OSR Rulesets - Fantasy 

Bundle of Holding - Mythras (RQ6)

Mythras is RuneQuest 6 under a new label. If you are a RuneQuest fan or are interested at all in RuneQuest, Mythras is considered by many to be the ultimate edition of RQ. Bundle of Holding is currently giving us a Bundle of Mythras.

"For just US$14.95 you get all five titles in our Starter Collection (retail value $47) as DRM-free .PDF ebooks, including the 304-page Mythras core rulebook, three adventures -- Madness & Other Colours, Xamoxis' Cleansing, and A Gift From Shamash (that last one is even science fiction!) -- and the 336-page Classic Fantasy supplement (Old School dungeon crawls in Mythras!)."

"And if you pay more than the threshold price of $25.40, you'll level up and also get our entire Bonus Collection with seven more titles worth an additional $52, including Mythic Britain (and the Mythic Britain Companion), Mythic Rome (plus the Mythic Rome Maps), and three Classic Fantasy adventures: These Violent Delights, The Terror of Ettinmarsh, and Tomb of the Mad Wizard."

News - Jack Vance’s Lyonesse (High Fantasy) to become a new RPG from The Design Mechanism

I must admit, I've never read any of Jack Vance's work. I guess that gives me an Appendix N demerit or something.

In any case, The Design Mechanism has secured the license to produce an RPG based on Jack Vance's Lyonesse Trilogy. It will be a stand-alone game built on the Mythras RPG, which itself is a descendant of RuneQuest 6. Then there are the Mongoose OGL versions of RuneQuest (later named Legend) that came before.

In any case, here's a bit of the press release:

Jack Vance’s high fantasy masterpiece, Lyonesse, is brought to life in a new roleplaying game by The Design Mechanism. Licensed and approved by Spatterlight Press, Lyonesse is a standalone game based on the acclaimed Mythras system.

Using The Design Mechanism’s Mythras mechanics, the Lyonesse roleplaying game is presented as a standalone game with all the rules necessary for play.

The development of the Lyonesse roleplaying game will be documented from time to time on the Design Mechanism’s website and forum. Work is well underway, and the game is anticipated to appear between late 2019 and early 2020.

You can read The Design Mechanism's blog for a larger summary here or the press release here. Or go to ENWorld, where there is a summary and no links to the source. Almost makes one think they had an exclusive...

Mini Review - RuneQuest 2nd Edition (PDF)

Classic RuneQuest is back and I'm loving it. I was a backer of the RuneQuest: Classic Edition Kickstarter and I've just gotten around to looking at the PDF. My God, if I had this in PDF when I came across Chaosium's RuneQuest back in 86 or 87 I might never have stayed with AD&D.

RuneQuest has flavor that D&D in it's various incarnations lacked at the time. It's default world, Glorantha, had depth. Ah shit, I'm sounding like a fanboy. The thing is, RuneQuest lacked something that D&D was built upon - levels. Hit points didn't progress, combat ability went up slowly. Armor prevented damage by hit location. If you wanted your party to stay in the same general area, they didn't suddenly out power all of their adversaries. It was, and is, a damn good system. You've seen it elsewhere, most likely in Call of Cthulhu.

RQ uses a percentile system and using skills is what increases them. Want to be an excellent pick pocket? You need to use the skill every session (and probably get thrown in the stocks in return, but that's another story)

As for races, you had some of your standard fantasy races but you also had Ducks (i'm sure someone on staff had Howard the Duck on their mind when writing this up)

For the time, RuneQuest had a rather complete presentation of the game rules. You could learn how to run RQ from just reading the core book. Certainly better organized and much more complete than Tunnels & Trolls, another game I enjoy from the early era of RPGs.

I ran Pavis and Big Rubble with my group for over a year using these rules and we had a blast. Of course, the group always went back to AD&D but that's another story ;)

The PDF is a beauty with hyperlinks in it's table of contents. This is going right on my tablet.

It's a well presented piece of gaming history that is just as relevant today as it was in the late 70's.

Kickstarter - RuneQuest: Classic Edition - RQ2 is BACK!

Sometimes what is old is new again. Sometimes old is simply better than new.

Much like with Dungeons & Dragons, there is a certain charm and simplicity to RuneQuest's earlier editions. RQ2 (Chaosium)is what I cut my RuneQuest teeth on back in the day even if technically RQ3 (Avalon Hill Edition) was my first encounter with RuneQuest.

Ducks! You have to have ducks!

In just over a day the Kickstarter to bring RuneQuest 2 back into print has raised over $65k. In just over a day. Holy shit. It's knocking over stretch goals like they're bowling pins (unless I'm the one bowling - I have a knack for gutter balls)

Pavis and Big Rubble might just see their first use by me in nearly 30 years this spring...

Chaosium RuneQuest 2 Coming Back in Print? Time to Break Out Pavis and Big Rubble :)

Although RuneQuest III (Avalon Hill) was my introduction to RuneQuest, it didn't take long for me to find RuneQuest 2 and fall in love. It was my go to system after AD&D and my group spent many a Saturday afternoon exploring the ruins of Big Rubble and the manipulations of Pavis. Good times.

To see it will be coming back in print is awesome (sure, called "Classic RuneQuest, but we know the truth - anything before Avalon Hill is gold.)  I'm very excited. Now the question is - how soon? It's not mentioned yet at the Chaosium site.

The King Asked for a Duck and Got a Coot - Coots Rule! (Patreon Funded Art)

I've mentioned in the past that +Jim Magnusson does awesome work, but this simply rocks the house.

I was thinking of ducks from classic RuneQuest when I made my request to Jim, but I wanted the result to be meaner. Ducks were lame.

Jim gave us a Coot.

I'll give this some Swords & Wizardry stats later this week, both as a PC race and as a monster to kill and take it's stuff.

Damn the inspiration!

(Jim's Patreon page, where you can toss him a few coins for the amazing work he does, is here)